World Power Plants

Kathu CSP is a 100 MW solar power plant in South Africa, ranked #1 of 101 solar plants and contributing 2.04% to the country's total solar capacity of 4,911 MW. The largest solar plant in South Africa is KaXu Solar One at 100 MW, making Kathu CSP equal in size. With 101 solar plants in total, South Africa's solar capacity showcases a growing renewable energy sector. Nearby plants within 50 km include Kathu Solar Park (100 MW, Solar), Sishen Solar Power Plant (94.3 MW, Solar), and Adams Solar PV Project (82.5 MW, Solar). The facility is located in the Northern Cape region, approximately 200 km from Upington.

Capacity
100 MW
Commissioning Year
2019

7 years old

Owner
ACWA Power
Location
-27.6130°, 23.0250°

South Africa, Africa

Context & rankings
  • 67. largest of 232 plants in South Africa
  • #10,042 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #283 of 11,042 Solar plants worldwide
  • 0.14% of the installed capacity of South Africa
Age & fleet comparison

7 years in operation

Solar fleet average: 10.4 years

Operator portfolio

ACWA Power operates 15 plants totalling 1,176 MW

Regional density

10 plants within 100 km, 836 MW combined

Nearest plant: Kathu Solar Park (9.7 km)

Data provenance

Source: Wiki-Solar

Location

Coordinates:: -27.613000, 23.025000
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Kathu CSP is a solar power plant producing approximately 158 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~41 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Solar
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
South Africa
Continent
Africa
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

South AfricaEnergy Profile

232
Total Plants
71.9 GW
Total Capacity
CoalHydroSolarGas
Top Fuels

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